Blood, Love, and Gold
by MusicLover500
Summary: Quetsiyah sends both Elena and the cure to Middle-earth as part of her revenge against Silas. Gandalf promises to send her back if she joins him on a quest with thirteen dwarves and a hobbit- but will she want to after meeting and eventually falling for Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain?
1. Chapter 1

[Blood, Love, and Gold]: Vampire Diaries/Hobbit (Thorin/Elena)

Summary: Quetsiyah sends both Elena and the cure to Middle-earth as part of her revenge against Silas. Gandalf promises to send her back if she joins him on a quest with thirteen dwarves and a hobbit- but will she want to after meeting and eventually falling for Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain?

_Alright this is _a _new story from me- one of a few (maybe another Vampire Diaries/Hobbit, a Vampire Diaries/Being Human (UK), possibly Buffy/Hobbit… and maybe others once I get around to watching all the shows I want to watch). Now, after this I am updating one of my other stories- I'll post the ones I have inspiration for at the bottom; promise. _

_This takes place during season 5 of Vampire Diaries, although Damon and Elena are just friends and Katherine never had the cure shoved down her throat- instead, Elena kept it. For The Hobbit, it starts off during An Unexpected Journey. Oh, and in this I'm making Elena shorter- more like Thorin or Dwalin's height. _

_Disclaimer: Own nothing. Hobbit belongs to Tolkien and Peter Jackson; Vampire Diaries belongs to L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Title is a play off of the name of the song 'Blood, Tears, and Gold' by The Hurts. Blood= vampire (since Elena is one), as well as the danger of the quest; Love= love between Elena and Thorin; Gold= a huge part of the reason the dwarves are trying to reclaim Erebor, and *spoiler* the gold-lust Thorin eventually falls under towards the end of The Hobbit._

Chapter 1:

Elena lay awake on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep was hard to come by, especially now that the one thing she had always wanted was carefully tucked away in a drawer in her side table next to her bed.

Still hardly daring to believe she had it, the brunette vampire reached over and pulled the cure out. She watched as the red liquid inside changed from light to dark as moonlight and shadow danced across it.

It was tempting, oh so very tempting to take the thing right now, to finally be able to do all the things she had wanted to before drowning in the lake months ago. It was like Elena was Snow White and the cure the apple, only less poisonous.

But no matter how tempted she was, Elena knew becoming human now would only add to the ever-growing list of problems they had to deal with. Most notably Silas and Quetsiyah. The two were relentless in their missions, the former searching desperately for the cure Elena held in her hands and the latter ruthlessly enacting revenge on Silas for leaving her for his true love thousands of years earlier.

The brunette shuddered to think of what lengths the vengeful witch would go to see revenge dealt.

And she happened to have an instrument that would be the epitome of revenge.

Pushing dark thoughts like those out of her head, she was about to put the cure back when suddenly she felt a change in the atmosphere- like it was suddenly charged with some sort of energy, building as the seconds ticked by and waiting to be released.

Elena looked around for any source, noticing a sense of dread stemming from her gut.

A crack sounded from nearby, and she whipped around to see a crack had appeared in one of the walls. Not exactly sure why there was suddenly a crack in an otherwise perfectly secure house, she got up and carefully set the cure on her dresser before quickly changing into jeans on the off chance the house started falling apart. She quickly grabbed the cure again and cautiously moved closer to the crack.

Of course, she could just be being silly- after all it could just be a crack, not something supernatural, but something in her gut said otherwise.

As she was moving closer, the crack began to grow, revealing not internal structure, but instead blue sky and unfamiliar land.

_What the-?!_ Elena thought, halting in her tracks. To her horror, she soon realized the crack was pulling her _into_ it. She scrambled for some sort of anchor, but in the end it was futile- the pull was too strong.

The last thing she was aware of was falling through empty space before blacking out.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

Sometime later, Elena became aware of an ache that consumed her entire body. Groaning, she slowly sat up and opened her eyes, wondering what she'd done last night to cause this much pain. Her hand reflexively grasped and something in it, and she looked down to see the cure.

Slowly memory returned. Laying in bed, some odd crack appearing that she was starting to realize must not have been a crack, getting sucked into the thing…

The brunette quickly stood up- already noticing her accelerated healing kicking in. _Please let this be some weird dream or drunken stupor. _She prayed, as her surroundings matched the ones she had glimpsed in through the crack—thing. Her gut instinct helped succeed in killing her wish.

What was it then, if not a crack? Elena knew it had to have been something dealing with magic- no other force she knew of would be able to transport someone to an entirely different area. _There's teleporting spells, but those wouldn't cause a crack. Portals… portals! _

That was the only thing it could have been, and it was enough to send Elena into panic. There was no telling where a portal could take you- it could take you to another town, another state, another country, another planet, or even another reality. All depending upon the castor's wish.

_Who would want to do that? Bonnie wouldn't- surely she would have let me know some other way if she was mad at me. _The brunette wondered- and then it hit her as she glanced down at the object in her hand.

Quetsiyah. She had wanted to get the best revenge possible on Silas- and what better way to do it than to send the cure to some other place? Elena doubted she had meant to send her along with it, but to be honest wouldn't put it past the woman.

Forcing herself to calm down, she made a list of priorities. One, find out exactly where she was- knowing both her luck and Quetsiyah, it was some sort of other reality. Second, find a way to get back home. Third, ensure somehow that Quesiyah was stopped before her or someone else got killed in the vengeance gig she had going on.

The sound of trotting reached her ears, faintly at first but getting louder as the horse came nearer to her. Quickly, she looked for a place to hide but before she could the horse had stopped in front of her.

Elena glanced up to see a tall, elderly man with a long gray beard, blue-gray hat, and gray cloak sitting atop the light brown house.

"You're awfully far from Erud Luin, aren't you?" The man said, smiling at her.

"What?" She asked, confusion coloring her voice- what was that? "Is that a place?" She continued, wincing at how dumb it sounded.

The man looked confused, but he quickly hid it. "My apologies. I assumed, because of your height, you were one of the dwarven folk. Though it is odd you have never heard of the Blue Mountains."

_Dwarves? _"Where am I? And who are you?" Elena asked, the mans words still not making sense, other than her height being compared to dwarves- something she was used to.

"I am Gandalf the Grey. And you are in Middle-earth, not too far from the Shire." He replied, climbing off his horse. On the ground, she could really see the height difference between them. "Now who might you be, my dear?"

"Elena. Gilbert." She replied, not seeing the harm in telling him her name- she wouldn't be here for much longer. At least she hoped. She then noticed a wooden staff with him, one that had an intricately twisted knot at the top… like a wand staff Bonnie had showed her pictures of once. That gave her an idea.

"Well, Elena, I believe you must have hit your head quite hard if you don't remember at least the Shire- though, you are dressed fairly… odd." Gandalf said.

"I didn't hit my head… this is going to sound crazy, but I come from a different reality- a witch there sent this… thing… to here and as I was holding it at the time, I got dragged here as well. And I need help getting back- can you help me?" She asked, being as discreet as she could while tucking the cure into her jeans pocket. So far, Gandalf seemed trustworthy, but she wasn't about to spill her secrets quite yet. Who knew if vampires even existed in this world?

"And what makes you think I would be able to help you?" He replied, sharply but not unkindly.

"Your staff, it looks like a magic one a friend of mine had showed me a picture of once." Elena said, pointing to it as she did.

The man fell into silence, and her anxiousness grew with each minute. _What if he refuses to help me? What then? _Finally, he seemed to reach a conclusion.

"I will help you-" He said, and her spirits rose. "-but first I must ask you help me on a little quest."

"What kind of quest?"

"Simple, really. You and I will accompany a group of thirteen dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield to reclaim the lost dwarven kingdom of Erebor and kill the dragon Smaug." Gandalf said, like it was a normal thing.

_Dragon? Kingdom? Are you sure this much danger is worth going back? _A voice in the back of her head said. But as of right now Gandalf was her only shot.

"I will help you on this quest. As long as you promise you can help me get back." She finally replied.

The wizard smiled. "That I can. Head the way I came until you reach a small place town. Once there, ask directions to the Shire. Look for a mark on one of the hobbit holes there and you will find the meeting place for everyone." He instructed.

Elena nodded, and Gandalf gave her one last smile before hopping back on his horse and riding away. She turned towards the way he had come and began walking, wondering if she would regret what she had gotten into.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

_I just realized that tonight's episode of the Vampire Diaries is it's 100__th__, so this could also be considered a little gift in honor of that. While on that subject, I really hope it doesn't turn out like Buffy's 100__th__ episode did- that ending should truly make it up there with the episodes The Body and Once More, With Feeling. Breaks my heart and a bawl every time I watch it. _

_Here's the list of stories I have inspiration for. 'Born to Die', 'Hearts Under Fire', 'Lurking Danger', 'Soulmates', of course 'Blood of A Doppelganger', and somewhat 'A Potter and A Malfoy'. I recommend requesting one of the others, because they'll be out quicker. _

_Some stories I have coming soon? Elena/Fili (VD/Hobbit), hopefully something dealing with Elena/Bard (VD/Hobbit), Elena/Mitchell (VD/Being Human- UK version), Elena/Derek (VD/Teen Wolf), Elena/Stiles (VD/Teen Wolf), and Elena/Legolas (LotR) or Elena/Aragorn (LotR). I will post some of my ideas of most of these on my profile page… eventually. _

_And you have TheElegantFaerie to thank for getting me started on the idea of Elena/Thorin and Elena/Fili, though mostly Elena/Thorin. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The Shire seemed like a peaceful, quiet place- not at all like a place where Elena imagined a meeting about a dangerous quest would take place. It was also unlike any place she had ever seen. The homes were holes in the ground and the creatures- she remembered Gandalf saying something about 'hobbit-hole', which she assumed these creatures were the hobbits- were even shorter than her!

She received mistrustful looks from the hobbits she passed as she walked around the Shire in a circle trying to find the mark the wizard had been talking about.

Night had fallen by the time she finally spotted it, glowing a faint blue on a fairly large round door towards the top on one of the small hills- a place she hadn't looked yet. Judging by all the ponies- and Gandalf's horse- she was already late. _Though how did I miss them arriving in the Shire? _She wondered as she knocked on the door, knowing her heightened senses would've picked up on it. _Unless you were too far away. _

The door opened to reveal a hobbit with gold-brown curls and an agitated expression.

"How many of you are there?" He asked irritably.

Before she could ask what he meant, Gandalf appeared behind him. "Ah, Elena- I wondered when you would show up."

"I had trouble finding this place." She explained.

"Come in, then, since it's obvious you're with the others." The hobbit said, stepping back and opening the door wider. Elena felt the barrier holding her back break and stepped over the threshold.

She glanced around and saw the dining room was full of… dwarves, eating and looking generally like they were having a good time.

"Elena, allow me to introduce you to our host, Bilbo Baggins." Gandalf said, tearing the brunette's gaze away from the dining room.

"It's a pleasure meeting you." Bilbo said.

"Likewise." She replied, before giving the wizard a 'I'm here, what now?' look.

In response, Gandalf brushed past her and entered the dining room. Elena followed, and upon seeing her the dwarves went quiet.

"Everyone, this is Elena- I have chosen her to join this quest. Elena, this is Oin, Gloin, Balin, Dwalin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Fili and Kili." He said, gesturing to each dwarf in turn.

There was a few more seconds of silence before the talking resumed, and Gandalf gestured for her to take a seat, which she did. It soon became apparent to her that there were only twelve dwarves, which meant they were one short- who must be this Thorin Oakenshield, as his was the only name she hadn't heard.

She got her answer a bit later, after one song involving dishware being thrown was finished.

Two loud, hard knocks sounded from the door, and Gandalf murmured "He's here."

Bilbo went to answer it, while Elena stood off the side and the dwarves crowded on one side of the entryway. The door opened to reveal another dwarf- only, this one seemed different from the others.

He had a beard- but not as long as some of the others she had seen- and long black hair with a few gray streaks in it, and seemed to be dressed better than the others. He also had this regal air about him, like he was someone very important.

At first glance, the brunette wouldn't lie- he was attractive.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I would have lost my way had it not been for the mark on the door." He greeted.

"Mark? What mark? There's no mark, that door was painted only a week ago!" Bilbo exclaimed, while Elena's gaze was still on Thorin.

"I put it there." Gandalf said like it was no big deal. "Bilbo- and Elena- allow me to introduce you to the leader of our Company: Thorin Oakenshield."

"So this is the hobbit." Thorin said, circling Bilbo and either not noticing or ignoring Elena's presence. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." He commented, and Elena heard a few of the dwarves chuckle at this. The dwarf finally realized Elena was there because he said "You never said we'd have another companion in addition to our burglar."

"Elena is here at my request as a favor for me." Gandalf explained as Thorin walked away from Bilbo and inspected Elena closer.

"You don't look like much." He observed. "How well can you can fight?"

"Good enough." She replied.

"We'll see." He replied, moving away and towards the dining room.

Elena and the others followed suit, with her trying to figure out why the dwarf's proximity affected her the way did.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

Elena listened half-heartedly to what the others talked about- paying close attention when the quest was mentioned. She felt sorry for Bilbo when the two of them read over the terms and conditions- facing death wasn't a new thing for her, but Bilbo fainted. Although, that one dwarf with the funny hat, who she believes is Bofur, didn't help with his explanation of dragon fire reducing you to nothing but ashes.

As the dwarves gathered in the living room, Elena finally got the chance to talk with Gandalf alone. She realized she wouldn't be able to feed like she normally did on this quest throughout the course of the night, and since Gandalf was the only one who'd be able to help, decided to tell him her secret.

"Gandalf, can I have a word with you?" She asked, and led the two of them to one of the empty hallways. "There's something I haven't told you- about me- something you should know." She began, taking a deep though unnecessary breath to calm herself.

"Yes?"

"I have this… thing…" She tried, but decided to screw it and tell him the whole truth. "Where I come from, there are different… creatures, like vampires- basically, they need to live on blood to survive. I accidentally got turned into one before coming here and was wondering if you'd know something- a spell- that could help keep the bloodlust at bay." She said in a rush, scanning the wizard's face at the end.

"This is very… interesting." He finally said, much to her surprise. She was expected a different answer. "I think I do know a spell that will help- but you must tell me more about what it means to be a… vampire."

"Thank you." The brunette said, a relieved smile crossing her face. "I can tell you as much you want tomorrow."

He nodded and walked away. Elena stood there for a few minutes before making her way to the living room, where she sat down in the entrance. All the dwarves were gathered there, looking grim. She wondered what the deal was- until suddenly they started humming and Thorin started singing.

"_Far over the Misty Mountains cold. To dungeons deep, and caverns old." _He began, and Elena couldn't help but be surprised out how deep his voice was… nor how well he could sing. The others soon chimed in.

"_We must away, ere break of day. To find our long forgotten gold._

_The pines were roaring on the height. The winds were moaning in the night._

_The fire was red, it flaming spread. The trees like torches blazed with light_."

The song was amazingly a mixture of sadness and beauty, and she fell sleep with it echoing in her head- along with Thorin's voice as he sang it.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

_New chapter, yay! And it included the Thorin/Elena meeting. I'm going to work on Soulmates next, but first I'm probably going to watch the SyFy movie Alice online and then finish the first season of Being Human (UK). I love the song 'Misty Mountains', if you can't tell. I've even learned how to play it on my clarinet! Not that anyone cares._

_Hopefully updates will be faster, as this is one of the four-five stories __I have the plot outlined for. _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Gandalf, who informed her that they were leaving, woke Elena early the next morning. As everyone gathered and loaded their ponies, she noticed Bilbo wasn't among them.

"Where's Bilbo?" She asked as she climbed onto the spare pony the Company had that should've been the hobbit's.

"The hobbit chose to stay behind." Thorin answered from the front, sparing her a brief glance before turning away and jarring his pony into motion, officially starting their journey.

Elena heard Gandalf mutter something under his breath and felt a wave of magic pass over her, and suddenly the beginnings of bloodlust faded away. She glanced at him, and he gave a faint nod and smile, silently telling her 'it's done'.

She smiled at him in thanks. "You mentioned wanting to know more about… you know." She began, being careful not to let the others in on her secret. Yet, anyway. "What do you want to know first?"

"Oh well, anything, really. What little you've told me so far is most curious." Gandalf replied.

"Well, then, I suppose I should start with the origins- the true ones…"

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

For Thorin, the beginning of the quest was filled with brooding. They had lost their burglar- who was vital for the final stage of their quest and suddenly seemed to make their already grim odds that much grimmer.

He'd heard many of his companions grumble about how their stop at the Shire had been a waste of time, and he personally agreed with them.

_But not all is lost- you _did _gain an unexpected member. A very unexpected one. _A voice in the back of his head whispered, and he half turned to spot the woman talking animatedly with Gandalf- Elena, if he was remembering her name correctly.

He was conflicted about her joining- on one hand, he was glad for an extra member who could apparently fight, but on the other he was wary of her. After all, he only had Gandalf's word she could be trusted and her word that she could fight. He knew, despite her size, she was from the race of Men, and that their woman rarely fought.

_I hope, for your sake and the rest of this Company's, you can indeed fight and are not just a pretty face. _He thought, turning back to the front.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

_Gandalf's a good listener. _Elena thought as she finished explaining the history surrounding the Originals, the first official vampires. The wizard would listen closely and ask for more details about things, particularly the spell Esther had used to turn her children into vampires. She told him what she knew, including that her great ancestor's blood had been used to complete their transition.

"That ancestor- Tatia- was also the first official Petrova doppelganger that we know of, since Esther also used her blood to bind one of the youngest, Klaus', werewolf side." The brunette elaborated.

"Doppelganger… yet another interesting thing about you, my dear." Gandalf replied, smiling at her.

Elena smiled back, and was about to explain all the events surrounding her being turned when a voice behind them caused the Company to halt.

"Wait!" Bilbo shouted, running up to them, the contract in hand. Panting slightly, he handed it to Balin. "I signed it."

Elena caught Gandalf's smile growing wider at that, even more when Balin declared "Welcome, Master Baggins, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield."

"Give him a pony." Thorin said gruffly from the front.

"There's a slight problem- there are none." One of the other dwarves said. _I really need to figure out a way to learn all their names. _Elena told herself.

"Oh, that's no problem. Really." Bilbo said.

"It's a long journey- even someone like you won't be able to keep up." Another- she wasn't sure if it was Fili or Kili- said.

"He can ride with me." She suddenly said, as she realized no one else was going to offer at the moment.

"I don't want to be a-" The hobbit tried protesting, but Elena cut him off.

"It's no problem." She said, grabbing a hold of his hand and hulling him up behind her, forgetting that in this time period woman aren't supposed to be that strong.

As they resumed their journey, the brunette caught Thorin watching her interestedly from the front every now and then.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

Thorin couldn't help but be impressed- and surprised- at how strong Elena must be in order to haul Bilbo onto her pony single handedly.

_I suppose there's more to you than meets the eye. _He thought, taking in her slender frame- definitely not something one would assume could hide that much strength. While this may be something that would typically put him at ease, he was still wary, thought not much as he was even a few hours ago.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

_Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you like the bits from Thorin's POV- there may not be a lot until it gets easier writing his character. Fun fact: last year, when I started my account, it was during the Superbowl- which as all of you in America more than likely know, is occurring right now._

_Next up: 'Hearts Under Fire' and 'Lurking Danger'._

_I have decided, once I finish this, 'Soulmates', 'Blood of A Doppelganger', 'Hearts Under Fire', and 'Lurking Danger', I will hopefully get around to updating 'Born To Die' and 'Coming Home' again- though don't hold out much hope for the latter right now. I will also be starting a VD/LotR crossover around that time as well. (And more than likely a VD/Being Human one too just because there's maybe one story in that x-over section about the UK version, along with Once Upon A Time/VD if I'm far enough along in the series by this point)._

_Wow, that's a long author's note!_


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about how late this is! Writer's block hit and then other things got in the way until updating this and 'Blood of A Doppelganger' were pushed towards the back of my mind. I will still work on this and 'Blood of A Doppelganger', but my main focus now is finishing 'Soulmates' and then 'Twist of Events'._

_I hope you like this chapter; I'm thinking about adding Thorin/Elena interaction either at the end of this chapter or in the next one. Again, I'm so sorry!_

Chapter 4:

Elena did her best to ignore the looks she swore Thorin was shooting her throughout the rest of the day. They made her uncomfortable- underneath his emotionless expression she could see the glimmer of curiosity and slight mistrust. The latter she expected; it was the first that made her resist the urge to fidget. Curiosity would inevitable lead to questions, questions she didn't really want to answer just yet.

However, she couldn't deny the faint shiver that ran through her whenever she caught him looking at her. It had something to do with the intensity she saw during those brief moments their gaze's met- or, what she assumed it was.

Explaining more about vampires to Gandalf was out of the picture now that Bilbo was riding behind her, so she continued the rest of the day riding in silence. The brunette could sense Bilbo's discomfort behind her, not just by the way his arms clutched around her middle, but by the change in his scent.

She focused on everything but the hobbit's scent, for focusing on that led to her becoming even more aware of the blood pumping beneath his skin and she was loathe to test how far Gandalf's spell went in reining her bloodlust so soon.

Thankfully, Thorin called for a halt by a rocky outcropping soon after night fell, and Elena was able to relax as she felt Bilbo's discomfort ease slightly and she was able to pull away from him. She felt Bilbo was really pleasant company, but for now there seemed to be too much temptation.

As the rest of the Company began to settle down for the night, the vampire made her way over to Gandalf who was propped up against a rocky wall, smoking his pipe in a thoughtful manner.

Sliding down next to him, she began, "What else do you want to know?"

"You've told me enough for now, I think." He replied, taking a drag from his pipe. "I would suggest trying to get some rest—the journey will only get harder from here. That is, unless you don't need any." He continued.

"I do still need sleep- just not as much as I did before, when I was… human." Elena trailed off at the last part; even though she'd been a vampire for months, the fact she was no longer human was still jarring to realize. With everything that had happened, sometimes it was easy to forget.

She bid the wizard goodnight and made her way over to a fairly soft looking spot—by soft she meant a patch of grass growing through a crack in the rock. Looking at it reminded her of the crack that had transported her here; and with that her mind wandered for the first time to everyone back home.

Guilt ate at her when she imagined Jeremy, finding the last of his relatives had mysteriously disappeared. _I'll find my way back to you, I promise Jer. _She vowed as she laid down on the patch of grass, wiggling a bit into a semi-comfortable position. Curling up she propped her head on one forearm and let the faint crackling of the fire and the smell of Gandalf's smoke lull her into sleep- much like the dwarves' song had the previous night.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

Thorin leaned against the bit of rock he had chosen as his bed for the night, just quietly surveying the Company. Most had succumbed to sleep by now, though a few were still awake like him. Balin had taken the watch, yet he still wasn't ready to give into sleep's embrace.

He recognized the outline of Gandalf towards the edge of camp, the wizard's smoke turning wispy silver when the moonlight hit it, and the faint voices of his nephews from nearby.

Movement caught his eye and he turned to see it was merely Elena heading towards Gandalf. As he watched, the two exchanged a few brief words before Elena got up and moved towards a grassy patch on the rock.

She stared down at it for a few seconds, and he watched as guilt crossed her face, followed by sadness. This perplexed him—what could a patch of grass on a rock mean to her? Then again, he supposed she could just be remembering someone or something. Night was a good time for reflection—he should know.

He pulled from his musings in time to see determination flash across her face for a brief moment before the brunette curled up on the grassy patch and laid there with her head propped on one forearm for a pillow.

Thorin watched as her brown eyes—since when did he notice the color of her eyes?—drifted close and her breathing evened out, signaling sleep.

"You really should get some rest, laddie." Balin's voice said. "You know best exactly how much it will be needed."

Knowing Balin wasn't wrong—he couldn't remember a time when the older dwarf's advise hadn't been useful, or indeed needed—he rested his head against the rock and shut his eyes.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

A screech loud and evil enough to raise the fine hairs on her neck woke Elena with a start. Automatically, she leapt up and engaged in defensive mode: a crouch, with every single one of her senses on high alert.

Around her, the rest of the Company too were faintly stirring; obviously the screech had still been quite loud, not just her sensitive hearing registering it as so. She watched as out of the corner of her eye, Bilbo jumped and whipped around to face Fili and Kili, who were gazing into the distance, alert.

"What was that?" The hobbit asked, and Elena could detect the fear in his voice. Not that she could blame him- that screech was unlike any she had heard before.

"Orcs." Kili replied; the word was foreign to the brunette and judging by Bilbo's next question, to him as well. She noticed how Thorin awoke with a start at the word.

"Orcs?" He echoed.

"Throat cutters. They're will be dozens of them out there; the lowlands are crawling with them." Fili elaborated, and Elena watched as him and Kili briefly exchanged a glance.

"They strike in the wee hours of the night when everyone's asleep. No screams, just lots of blood." Kili added, his voice dropping for added effect.

At the look on Bilbo's face, she watched the two snicker faintly.

"Think a night raid by Orcs is funny?" Thorin's voice said sharply, and she noticed he was glaring at the dark haired dwarf.

"I didn't mean anything by it." Kili said, looking bashful.

"No you don't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin replied just as sharply as before, turning away to gaze off into the distance and valley below.

While Elena didn't quite find it funny that something apparently very dangerous and quite deadly could be handled so lightly, she could understand wanting to have a bit of fun, and wondered why these 'Orcs' affected Thorin so much.

"Don't mind him, laddie." Balin's voice said, the white haired dwarf coming to stand beside Elena. "Thorin as more cause than most to hate Orcs."

The brunette could sense a story coming on. Sure enough, Balin began explaining a battle that had happened shortly after Erebor had fallen- about how Thorin's grandfather had been beheaded by an Orc (known as 'the Pale Orc' according to the dwarf). How his father had been driven mad by it, and Thorin had been left wielding nothing but a sword and oak branch against the foe.

She could picture it easily; a slightly younger Thorin charging a bunch of Orcs (whatever they looked like), feel the thirst for revenge he must have felt for his family. Her heart couldn't help but go out to him; now she could see why he was the way he was.

_If it hadn't been for the others, I would probably be like that too. _She thought. Throughout the story, her defensive posture had relaxed, though she still kept her ears on high alert.

"What happened to the Pale Orc?" Bilbo asked softly at the end of Balin's tale.

"He slunk back into the hole from whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin answered, utter surety coloring his voice.

Gandalf and Balin exchanged glances, which Elena didn't miss as being full of doubt. The idea that this…creature could still be out there wasn't a pleasant thought.

As she briefly caught Thorin's gaze, she couldn't help the faint sympathy that shown through her eyes. She wanted to say _I'm sorry_, but had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate it—he seemed like the kind to do that.

Slowly, everyone settled back to sleep, but Elena laid awake for a little while longer, reflecting on Balin's story.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

Dawn came early, and after a meager breakfast of leftover supper and some bread they were back on the road, Bilbo once again riding with Elena. Much to her relief, the hobbit seemed more comfortable, making any chance of bloodlust overcoming her lesson considerably.

She decided to take this opportunity to learn more about the hobbit.

"Why did you choose to come?" She asked, turning her head slightly to face him.

He glanced up, startled for a moment. It took him a bit to answer, but she waited patiently. "Honestly? I haven't the faintest idea. Perhaps I'm not as entirely respectful as I assumed; maybe there's some wanderlust I'll never be free of."

"I'm sure you're quite respectful, you're just… looking for more compared to the others. Have more desire to experience all the joys of the world." Elena said, then remembered she had technically insulted his species. "I mean no offense." She added quickly.

"None taken. Perhaps you're right." Bilbo said. "Why did _you_ join? I mean, I had always assumed women from the Big Folk had no desire in adventures."

"I met Gandalf while I was lost. I had been wandering around for a bit… ever since my family had passed a few years ago… and had traveled further west than I'd anticipated. He promised to help me get to my brother's home if I accompanied him on this quest, which I agreed to." She replied, spinning the first believable tale off the top of her head.

"I'm sorry about your family." The hobbit said automatically. "But, why would Gandalf ask you to join? If you two had only just met."

"Who knows? I suspect he has his reasons for doing it." She said quickly. This answer seemed to satisfy Bilbo, because he inquired no more about it, just asked about her brother, whom she was happy to discuss.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

As the day wore on, Thorin's wandering mind began picking up snippets of conversation from the other members. He didn't really pay attention to any, not wanting to eavesdrop, until he heard Bilbo ask Elena about why she had joined.

He listened to her story intently, finding no holes, no reason to suggest she was trying to deceive them; ever since she had first joined he had remained wary, as he knew nothing of her, and that made him relax faintly knowing they were safe. Though, like the hobbit he wanted to know why Gandalf had asked her to join, but like her he knew the wizard had his own reasons.

Now that he knew she wasn't going to randomly turn on them, his next thought focused on finding out just how well her fighting skills were—if she had any—what her strengths were, etc. He resolved to begin finding out the next time they stopped for the night, knowing if she knew nothing of fighting she would need to know how as soon as possible for the safety of everyone else.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

_Random, but I just realized a kind of disturbing thing about the first chapter: as it might be known by now, I recently started watching Doctor Who, which I know during I believe it's season 5 that there's a crack in someone's wall. Elena got transported to Middle-earth through a crack in her wall. A very odd coincidence, considering a few months later I would start Doctor Who._

_Back to stuff that you actually care about: how was it? I'm sorry if Thorin's OOC- I imagine he'd put the Company first (and the quest) above all else, except possibly family, but after Desolation of Smaug I'm not quite so sure._

_Now, I'm going to slowly work on finishing this and my other Hobbit/VD story, but my main focus is 'Soulmates' and 'Twist of Events'. I can't quite promise when updates for anything will be as I'm trying to finish from season 4 onward of DW before August 23, along with Band Camp starting in a few weeks, but I'll try to get chapters out when I can, alright? Just know (most) of my stories aren't abandoned; I just have life and writer's block and if you could be patient I would oh so much appreciate it. And I'm not trying to be rude it's just… I don't want anyone to send my rude and hateful messages asking why I haven't updated when my life doesn't evolve entirely around writing._

_Once I get around to finishing stories I will begin new ones, which will probably be some Doctor Who x-overs, and maybe some VD ones (possibly one or two more with the Hobbit). Let me know if there are any crossovers (from the fandoms listed on my profile that I know) you would find it interesting for me to write about._

_And I apologize for the long author's note._


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm SO SORRY! I'm the worst person in the world. School's been hectic—really, especially all the projects and works for my Honor Civics class—and a few other things. But those aren't reasons; they're excuses. So, I'm just going to say I'm sorry, and that I'll do my best to update whenever I can; no more promises other than 'nothing is abandoned—yet'. _

_I'm slowly working on updating 'Soulmates', 'Twist of Events', and 'Redefining Reality'—I've just been having to fight off plot bunnies for new stories (again: not really a reason, an excuse; I really am the worst person ever)._

_And I apologize for the long author's note. Thank you if you're still sticking with me, for this or any other story…and I hope you can forgive me being the worst person on the planet, if not the entire universe._

Chapter 5:

The rest of the day was spent observing the landscape. So far all Elena could tell was that Middle-earth was made up of a lot of rugged, open terrain with the occasional forest or dwelling scattered throughout. Not much difference from places back home, she thought, the realization pleasing her since she now knew that at least she wouldn't be confronted with—by her standards—abnormal scenery at the present time.

Overall she found it very beautiful, even when a downpour occurred, soaking the brunette to the bone as the Company traveled through a forest. Gandalf could barely suppress his smile at her sight, causing the vampire to glower at him as she hunched in her saddle to ward off the chill seeping in despite her cool body temperature.

Much to her relief, the sun reappeared long enough to dry them before disappearing once more behind clouds.

As she took in the scenery she learned a bit more about Middle-earth from Bilbo and Gandalf's conversation, particularly how there were four other wizards, one of which was the head of their order- someone named Sarumon the White.

Inwardly the brunette smiled at what Bonnie's reaction would be- she would love learning what magic was like in this universe, though she might not be too happy about having someone dictate what she could and could not do in addition to nature's laws.

The now familiar guilt rose up but she shoved it down; she had to. From what she knew of the quest it was going to be incredibly dangerous and deadly, and any distractions could prove fatal even to her- something she couldn't risk if she wanted to see everyone back home again. Though there thankfully didn't seem to be much danger at the moment. But she knew it would change, just not when.

The rest of the day wore on uneventfully with Elena sometimes joining on conversations with Bilbo and Gandalf. Once she even got dragged into one with Kili and Fili, which she had to admit was highly amusing with the brother's personalities.

It never really occurred to the vampire until the Company began to halt for the night that Thorin had shot her very little glances throughout the day. The realization stirred mixed emotions inside, some she didn't bother trying to explore.

Not being shot mistrustful looks was definitely a huge bonus in making this quest semi-enjoyable, especially since Thorin would have to put up with her for a few months at the very least. However it also worried her, since he didn't seem like the kind to trust strangers that quickly.

_Don't think about it now,_ she told herself as she dismounted with the others.

They had stopped in a clearing sandwiched between a forest and the foot of a mountain range. The clearing was barren save for the burned, depilated shell of a small house.

Something about the house and the area in general began to raise the hairs on Elena's neck.

"A farmer and his family once lived here," she faintly heard Gandalf murmur. Louder, he added, "I think it would be best to move on."

"No," Thorin objected immediately, coming to investigate the house himself. "We'll rest here."

"Rivendell isn't far from here. The elves can give us food, shelter, advice!" The wizard argued.

That made Elena pause. She knew this world had dwarves, dragons, and hobbits, but this was the first she'd heard about any elves existing here. Old fantasies from when she was little about what she'd imagined elves to look like came to the forefront of her mind.

Would they be small, kind of like the ones you saw at Christmas time? Or very regal and elegant, like in the video games Jeremy and Matt enjoyed playing?

She wouldn't mind finding out—a first since she had gotten stuck here.

Elena had been so caught up in her thoughts she missed the rest of Gandalf and Thorin's argument until the grey haired wizard stalked past her, anger radiating from him.

"Where are you going?" Bilbo called after him.

"To find someone with common sense!" Gandalf called back.

"And who would that be?" The hobbit continued.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins!" And with that, Gandalf disappeared even from Elena's sight.

Noticing the hobbit's slightly frightened expression—more than likely to be left with almost total strangers, a good deal of whom aren't particularly welcoming to him—Elena walked over to him and offered a small smile.

"He'll come back," she said.

"I dearly hope so," Bilbo replied.

-Hobbit-Vampire-Diaries-

Night fell and Gandalf still hadn't returned. Elena could not only clearly see, but also feel Bilbo's growing anxiety as the night stretched on with no sign of the wizard.

"He'll be back," she reassured the hobbit for about the third time since Gandalf's abrupt departure.

In the firelight, Bilbo's face showed he wasn't as sure as he had been previously. Inwardly, she too was starting to feel the first nagging of doubt. But he won't just abandon us. Of that the brunette was sure.

He gave a small nod and headed off towards the fire, to do what Elena wasn't quite sure. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the hatted dwarf—Bofur—hand Bilbo two bowls full of the soup-thing they had had as dinner that night, before the hobbit headed into the woods. Immediately she assumed he was taking it to Fili and Kili.

Immediately Elena began to feel uncomfortable. Gandalf and Bilbo were the only real friends she'd made among the Company. The others had been friendly (well, most, as a certain dark-haired dwarf came to mind) but not quite like the wizard and hobbit had been.

The sound of footsteps approaching made the brunette turn around to see Thorin heading towards her. Confusion rapidly dawned on the brunette. The dwarf king had never really shown much interest in her—minus his stares the previous day—and she already knew he was the type to confront something sooner rather than later if he had an issue with it.

She became even more confused when she noticed he had two swords drawn (she didn't even know he had two swords, come to think of it). Survival instinct kicked in and she found herself eyeing the dark haired dwarf warily as he drew closer, muscles tensing in reflex so she could flee if need be.

He made no threatening movements, and in fact practically thrust one of the swords in her hand.

Her bewilderment was obviously written on her face, because he elaborated, "I'm going to see if you can fight as well as you say you can."

With that, he backed up until they were a few feet apart from each other and dropped into a fighting stance.

Elena unsheathed the sword and mirrored Thorin's stance. The weight of the sword was unfamiliar—she'd never really held one before now, having no reason to prior to her unfortunate arrival here—but she figured the self-defense moves she'd learned could be somewhat useful. If not, her reflexes should at least help with blocking.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Thorin heading towards her. Rising her sword, she managed to block his strike before it sliced her midsection. Adrenaline pumped through her as the nature of how close the strike was, especially if it had been a real battle.

She saw something akin to satisfaction in Thorin's eyes—as if the dwarf had been expecting it. A spark of anger flared up inside the brunette vampire and, indulging her strength a bit, managed to thrust him away and moved to strike him.

The movement caught him off guard for a minute—at which she felt satisfaction well up—and suddenly he was the one who had to quickly block her sword.

After that, it became a blur with both of them dodging and parrying the other's strikes. Elena resisted the urge to use her superior reflexes to her advantage, only tapping into them when deemed necessary.

She wasn't quite sure how it happened. One moment they were feet from each other, and the next their faces were mere inches away. Both of them could feel the edge of the sword, not quite enough to draw blood but definitely to cause discomfort.

Still neither made any movement to automatically move, something that came as a surprise to the brunette. As soon as she processed that, Thorin stepped away and let his sword drop; a signal that they were done.

Without a word, the dark-haired dwarf turned and walked away, leaving Elena standing there with the other sword still in hand. When he made no move to reclaim it, she bent to keep up the sheath from where she had dropped it.

She paused when she picked up the sound of rustling, getting closer to camp by the second. It sounded like footsteps, like someone was running as fast as they could.

Immediately she straightened, sword gripped tightly. Around her, the rest of the Company was starting to pick up the sounds as well.

Out of the bushes came Fili and Kili, looking somewhat out of breath. "Trolls. In the woods," Fili said. "Bilbo went to rescue the ponies…" the blonde dwarf trailed off.

Elena glanced at Thorin, wondering what he would do. She knew the dwarf king had no real love for her or Bilbo, but she hoped her theory that he wouldn't willingly leave one of them to die was true.

The Company, plus Elena, looked over at the dark-haired dwarf, waiting to see what he would do. At his nod, the rest of the Company scrambled for their weapons. Amidst the chaos, the brunette saw Kili dash off back the way him and his brother had come.

As she took off through the woods with the rest of the Company, the sword from her sparring with Thorin clutched in her hand, she couldn't help but feel adrenaline rush through her veins at the very real prospect of finally taking part in battle.

_I just hope Bilbo's alright,_ she thought, sparing a thought for the hobbit who was shaping up to be a friend.

-VD-Hobbit-

_Kind of an odd place to end the chapter but…at least I know where I can start the next one. I don't know how to feel about this one, but at least it's something for you guys who are still bothering to read this story. Do you want me to take the chapter down and redo it? Or leave it the way it is? _

_What did you think about the brief Thorin/Elena scene? Do you guys want me to start rewriting this (as I may do for my other Hobbit/VD x-over 'Blood of a Doppelganger') or wait until I finish this to decide on that? _

_I'm slowly working my other stories…very, very slowly…but they aren't abandoned at the moment as mentioned above. However if you see oneshots pop up, don't be surprised—they're an attempt to try and keep my muse going. I'm trying to stay away from posting any of the new stories I'm working until some of my other ones are finished._


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